Introduction to Psychological testing
Fundamental Concept of Psychological Testing
• Standardization - All procedures and steps must be
conducted with consistency and under the same
environment to achieve the same testing performance
from those being tested.
• Objectivity - Scoring such that subjective judgments
and biases are minimized, with results for each test
taker obtained in the same way.
• Test Norms - The average test score within a large
group of people where the performance of one
individual can be compared to the results of others by
establishing a point of comparison or frame of
reference.
• Reliability - Obtaining the same result after multiple
testing. It refers to the consistency of scores obtained
by the same person when re-examined with the same
test with different set of questions at another time.
Validity - The type of test being administered must measure what it is intended to
measure.
Types of Validity
Face Validity
Face validity is a measure of how representative a research project is ‘at face value,' and whether
it appears to be a good project.
Content Validity
Content validity is the estimate of how much a measure represents every single element
of a construct.
Criterion Validity
Criterion Validity assesses whether a test reflects a certain set of abilities.
.Concurrent validity measures the test against a benchmark test and highcorrelation
indicates that the test has strong criterion validity.
Predictive validity is a measure of how well a test predicts abilities. It involves
testing a group of subjects for a certain construct and then comparing them with
results obtained at some point in the future.
Construct Validity
Construct validity defines how well a test or experiment measures up to its claims. A test
designed to measure depression must only measure that particular construct, not closely
related ideals such as anxiety or stress.
TYPES OF TESTS:
Different Types of tests used to measure many different human developments.
They are classified as:
Application of Psychological testing
a. Detection of specific Behavior
Psychological test is used to measure and to detect the abilities of a person.
b.Individual Differences
A psychological test is used to measure the individual differences, that is
difference between abilities of different persons and the performance of the
same person at different time.
c. To diagnose by the Psychological Test
The psychological tests are usually used in clinical psychology. In clinical
psychology a test's function is to diagnose mental disorders.So tests are used
in mental hospitals and coaching and guidance centers for the assessment
and diagnose of mental disorders.
d.Legal Classification
A psychological test helps in classifying a number of people into different
categories For example normal and abnormal, criminal and innocent,
intellectual and mental retarded, able and disable etc.
e. Promoting Self Understanding
A psychological test provide standardized information about the abilities,
capabilities, aptitudes, potential competencies interest, trait and states of a
person which helps in understanding one's personality and planning future
prospective.
f.Program Evaluation
Effectiveness of a particular program is assessed by the applications of some kind of
test. This function is usually performed by an achievement test.
g. Scientific Inquiry or Research
Some experts use tests for research purpose which provide information
about the mental level and personality of the subject.
h. Military Selection
A closely related application of psychological testing is to be found in the
selection and classification of military personnel. From simple beginnings in
World War-I, the scope and variety of psychological tests employed in military
situations underwent a phenomenal increase during World War-II.
Subsequently research on test development has been contained on a large
scale in all brands of the normed services.
i.Industry
In industry and business tests are helpful in selection and classifying
personal for placement in jobs that range from the simpler semiskilled to the
highly skilled, from the selection of filling clerks and sales-person to top
management for any of these position, however test results are only one
source of information , though an important one.
j.Education
Psychological tests especially those of general intelligence and of specific
aptitudes have very extensive use in educational classification, selection
and planning from the 1st grade (and sometimes earlier) through the
university. Prior to World War-II schools and colleges were the largest
users of psychological tests.
MISUSE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
SEPS OF TEST CONSTRUCTION:
TEST ADMINISTRATION:
IMPORTANT TERMS:
• Percentile Rank – An individual's percentile rank on a test designates
the percentage of cases or scores lying below it. For e.g. Percentile 20
means the individual is situated above 20% of the group fall below this
person`s rank.
• Percentage – A rate, number or amount in each hundred. Any
proportion or share in relation to a whole.
• Stanine scores – According to this method the standard population is
divided into 9 groups. Stanine 1 is the lowest and stanine 9 is the
highest.
• Sten Scores – standard scores on a scale of ten.
• Standard scores – It designates the individual`s position with respect
to the total range and distribution of scores. The standard score
indicates, in terms of standard deviation, how far a particular score is
removed from the mean of the distribution.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEST AND EXPERIMENT
Test Experiment
It is standardized instrument used The researcher tries to manipulate
to measure intellectual and the situation and tries to prove or
non-intellectual characteristics of an disprove a hypothesis
individual through
verbal or non-verbal measures
It evaluates certain It determines the cause and effect
attributes of an individual. relationship between variables.
It does not have a hypothesis It has a hypothesis.
It does not have norms and is
It is standardized and has norms.
meant for verification of various
principles.
